Retrofit hygeinic toothbrush holder

ABSTRACT

A toothbrush holder that slides over an existing wall mount toothbrush holder and holds a diversity of toothbrushes. The toothbrush holder comprises top and bottom horizontal sections that are connected to each other by side walls forming a sleeve, enabling it to slide over an existing wall mounted toothbrush holder. The top and bottom horizontal sections may have at least one gripping member that frictionally holds toothbrushes.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/778,395 filed on Mar. 12, 2013 by the present inventor. This invention relates to generally to toothbrush holders; and, more particularly, to toothbrush holders that may attach in a removeable fashion to wall-mounted toothbrush holders and may hold a diversity of toothbrush holders frictionally by a gripping member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following is a tabulation of some prior art that appears relevant:

U.S. Patents

Pat. Number Kind Code Issue Date Patentee 7,306,098 B1 2007 Dec. 11 Rineer 6,786,342 B2 2004 Sep. 07 Tayebi 6,622,978 B1 2003 Sep. 23 Ghiz 5,573,019 A  1996 Nov. 12 Hempel 5,259,519 A  1993 Nov. 09 Lieberman 5,163,566 A  1992 Nov. 17 Hempel 4,854,457 A  1989 Aug. 08 Perler 3,915,525 A  1975 Oct. 28 Taube 2,611,477 A  1952 Sep. 23 Keys D668089 S1 2012 Oct. 02 Afghan D498958 S1 2004 Nov. 30 Henry D492869 S1 2004 Jul. 13 Henry D451731 S1 2001 Dec. 11 Henderson D278777 S  1985 May 14 Martin

Foreign Patent Documents

Foreign Cntry Kind Doc. Nr. Code Code Issue Date Patentee 202960272 CN U 2013 Jun. 05 Zou Jianping 

  202526030 CN U 2012 Nov. 14 High Yue-liang 

 

Toothbrushes have been in use for thousands of years and manufacturers have periodically made substantial innovations and improvements in toothbrush design. One of the major developments has been towards creating new toothbrush handle designs for the purpose of creating a more ergonomic and aesthetically pleasing toothbrush. Although toothbrush function and utility has progressed and changed over time, it has had the unforeseen effect of toothbrush handle size increasing to a point so they are often too large to fit in the holes of many toothbrush holders, especially in the case wall-mount toothbrush holders.

Many inventors and designers have created several different modes to hold toothbrushes in a convenient and hygienic manner. The prior art is replete with examples of toothbrush holders utilizing hooks, clips, grippers and trays that are typically mounted by using suction cups or adhesives applied to the bathroom walls or mirrors or simply set on a countertop as seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,786,342, 6,622,978, 5,573,019, 5,259,519, 5,163,566, 4,854,457, 3,915,525, 2,611,477, D668089, D498958, D492869, D451731, D278777 and CH Pat. Nos. 202960272, 202526030, which are all incorporated herein by reference.

There are several advantages to these designs over typical stand-alone toothbrush holders or tumblers. These solutions are typically more effective than the standalone toothbrush holder in that the clips and hooks are designed to accommodate many different toothbrush handle designs and can hold them successfully. Also, as the clamps and hooks have a more open architecture than holes and cups, they are easier to clean and are more sanitary as a result.

However, the clamp, grippers and hook suction cup mount designs have several disadvantages as well. Many modern toothbrushes, especially electric toothbrushes, are too heavy to be supported by the suction cups or adhesives. Also, over time adhesives and suction cups may degrade and lose their functionality and effectiveness.

Many individuals simply store their toothbrushes in a tumbler. These solutions often result in toothbrushes being stored in unsanitary conditions since water and other matter will drip from a toothbrush after use. In the case of wall-mounted toothbrush holders, the holes are often difficult to clean and result in unsanitary conditions and bacterial growth. Other disadvantages are that the toothbrush holder typically sits on the countertop, creating a cluttered environment and is also prone to being knocked over.

Moreover, many households still have wall-mounted toothbrush holders with holes that are too small to allow the passage of toothbrushes of modern design. These wall-mounted toothbrush holders are often made from porcelain or ceramic and are permanently attached to the bathroom walls, and their removal is an expense that many people are not willing to incur. Examination of the prior art does not reveal a means of restoring function to such pre-existing wall-mounted toothbrush holders.

The only instance of prior art that the present inventor is able to locate that even makes an attempt at retrofitting a wall-mount toothbrush holder in any fashion is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 7,306,098, and this is limited to attaching a toothbrush cover to a vertical surface, such as a wall, behind an existing wall mount toothbrush holder. U.S. Pat. No. 7,306,098 does not offer a means of retrofitting wall-mount toothbrush holders to accommodate toothbrushes that do not fit in the existing holes.

The present application addresses concerns a toothbrush holder capable of holding a diversity of toothbrushes while retrofitting existing wall-mount toothbrush holders that may no longer be able to accommodate many different types of modern toothbrushes.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other objects are obtained with the retrofit toothbrush holder of the present invention.

A toothbrush holder that acts as a retrofit for wall-mount toothbrush holders. A top member of a substantially horizontal orientation with at least one gripping member attached or formed by a cutaway. A bottom member of a substantially horizontal orientation which may have at least one gripping member attached or formed by a cutaway. Two side walls that extend from the front to the rear of the top and bottom members that attach to the underside of the top member and the top of the bottom member, holding them in fixed relationship to each other and forming a sleeve. Each side wall placed laterally to the gripping member, so that the gripping device extends beyond the side wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one version of the retrofit toothbrush holder.

FIG. 2 is a front view of one version of the retrofit toothbrush holder illustrating how a toothbrush holder may be frictionally held.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one version of the underside of the retrofit toothbrush holder.

FIG. 4 is a top view of one version of a toothbrush gripper used in one version of the retrofit toothbrush holder.

It should be noted that the drawings presented are intended solely for the purpose of illustration and that they are, therefore, neither desired nor intended to limit the invention to any or all of the exact details of the construction shown, except insofar as they may be deemed essential to the claimed invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS AND ALTERNATE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows the toothbrush holder with a top member 2 with gripping members 1, which are in the form of cutouts, to hold the toothbrushes. Top member 2 is joined to the bottom member 3 by means of side walls 4 that are depicted as rectangular blocks near each side edge of the platform inside of the gripper portion of the platforms. Side walls 4 hold top member 2 and bottom member 3 in fixed alignment with each other, thereby forming a sleeve with gripping members 1, 6 extending from its profile. Although FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of the sleeve that is open on front of the toothbrush holder, other embodiments could utilize a closed front design.

As the toothbrush holder takes the form of said sleeve, the toothbrush holder would act as a retrofit for existing wall-mount toothbrush holders whereby the user would slide the sleeve formed by the top member 2 and the bottom member 3 around an existing wall-mount toothbrush holder. In the ideal embodiment the sleeve would be designed to fit snugly over a wall-mount toothbrush holder allowing the toothbrush holder to leverage the stability and strength provided by the wall mounted toothbrush holder. A particular advantage of retrofitting by sliding a sleeve over the existing wall mount toothbrush holder is that it will result in labor and cost savings since it can be installed without of the use of tools or special skills normally associated the installation of wall-mount toothbrush holders. In addition, in the ideal embodiment the retrofit toothbrush holder would not permanently mounted so it could be removed and disinfected for improved hygiene, though other embodiments may include adhesives or other means of permanently joining the retrofit toothbrush holder to the existing wall-mount toothbrush holder.

The ideal embodiment the top member 2 would have a rectangular shape of approximately 6″ in width, 4″ in depth and 0.2″ thick, though future embodiments could incorporate other shapes and sizes as well, including but not limited to ovals and spheres. Also, the ideal embodiment would have top member 2 comprised of a rigid thermoelastomer or thermosetting polymeric material, such as polypropylene, high density polyethylene (HDPE) or polycarbonate, so as to provide a firm surface on which a person could rest a tumbler or other objects. However, other embodiments may comprise less rigid materials that may be stretchable and flexible, like thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), thermoplastic vulcanates (TPV) or silicone. Further, an ideal embodiment of top member 2 may also have a tumbler holder 5 with a diameter of approximately three inches, though future designs could reduce or enlarge the tumbler holder, or eliminate it entirely as it is not integral to the function of the toothbrush holder.

The ideal embodiment of bottom member 3 as depicted in FIG. 1 would have similar dimensions to top member 2, though the ideal embodiment may also have a cutaway as described in paragraph 0023. In the ideal embodiment bottom member 3 should be comprised of a stretchable and flexible material, preferably a thermoelastomer or thermosetting polymeric material, such as TPE, TPV or silicone, though other materials may be used, such as rubber or other stretchable material.

FIG. 1 depicts the side wall 4 as a rectangular block, though other embodiments may utilize other shapes and dimensions provided they securely hold the top 2 and bottom 4 portions in fixed alignment. In the ideal embodiment, side wall 4 should be comprised of a stretchable and flexible material, preferably a thermoelastomer or thermosetting polymeric material, such as TPE, TPV or silicone, though other materials may be used, such as rubber or other stretchable material. In addition, as seen in FIG. 3, in an ideal embodiment the side wall 4 extends from the front to the rear of the toothbrush holder, though other embodiments may only utilize smaller segments to join top member 2 and bottom member 3 in fixed alignment.

The gripping members 1 on the top member 2 and the gripping members 6 on the bottom member 3 may be cut out from a top platform 2 that has a wider profile than the wall-mounted toothbrush holder, allowing for the grippers to extend past the edges of the wall-mounted toothbrush holder. The gripping members 1, 6 would grasp the toothbrush frictionally below the toothbrush head and bristles. An alternative embodiment is, using adhesives or other means, attach gripping members of similar dimensions to gripping members 1, 6 to top member 2 or bottom member 3 instead of using a cutout form.

FIG. 2 is a frontal view of the toothbrush holder, depicted with toothbrushes being frictionally held. As top member 2 and bottom member 3 are held in fixed alignment by side wall 4, the gripping members 1 that are attached to top member 2 are in alignment with the gripping members 6 that are attached to bottom member 3. Gripping member 1 would hold frictionally a toothbrush below the bristles and gripping member 6 would frictionally hold the toothbrush at a lower portion of the toothbrush handle, allowing for greater stability in holding the toothbrush. In the ideal embodiment, gripping member 6 would be omitted as it is not integral to the overall functionality of the toothbrush holder and would reduce materials costs. However, gripping member 6 could be included if the manufacturer so desired.

FIG. 3 depicts the bottom member 4 of the toothbrush holder has a perforated portion 7 that can be removed with a cutting implement so as to allow the sleeve to fit around a wall mount toothbrush holder whose platform is affixed on top of a ball-joint mount that is affixed to a wall. However, the perforated section 7 is not integral to the overall function and could be omitted from other embodiments. In the ideal embodiment, the perforated portion 7 should be omitted entirely and simply feature a cut-away portion to accommodate ball joint mounts and to reduce materials costs.

FIG. 3 also depicts the side walls 4 showing that in the ideal embodiment they traverse the depth of the toothbrush holder from the front to rear.

FIG. 4 depicts the ideal embodiment of gripping member 1 attached to top member 2 or gripping member 6 attached to bottom member 3. In the ideal embodiment, the gripping member 1, 6 will be approximately 0.35″ in length and 0.25″ at the widest point of the aperture so as to be properly sized to accommodate a maximal number of toothbrushes commercially available. Further, the ideal embodiment of the gripping member 1, 6 would be to be manufactured utilizing an injection molding process whereby material suitable for manufacturing gripping devices, such as thermoelastomeric or thermosetting polymeric compounds such as TPE, TPV or silicone. The grippers would be attached to top member 2 or the bottom member 3 in a lateral position to the side wall 5.

Many materials and processes may be used to manufacture of the toothbrush holder, however, in the ideal embodiment the toothbrush holder should be manufactured using an injection molding process, though thermoforming or other manufacturing processes may be used. The components of the toothbrush holder could be manufactured as a singular unit, individually or in various combinations thereof and joined later, using adhesives or mechanical means of assembly. Injection molding is particularly advantageous because it enables an efficient and cost-effective means of producing the toothbrush holder.

In the ideal embodiment, a two steps injection molding process would be used whereby the top member 2, as described in paragraph 0018 would be manufactured from a rigid substrate such as polypropylene, HDPE or polycarbonate and the remaining components (bottom member 3, side walls 4 and gripping members 1, 6) could be manufactured utilizing a flexible and stretchable material suitable for chemically bonding to the rigid substrate in an overmolding process. Alternatively, other embodiments may manufacture the toothbrush holder using a single injection mold and as such would comprise only one substance, preferably one that is stretchable and flexible, such as TPE, TPV, silicone or other thermoelastomer or thermosetting polymeric materials, though other materials could be used.

Thermoplastic and thermosetting polymeric materials which may be particularly advantageous for the following reasons:

-   -   a. As the materials are flexible while maintaining their         structural integrity, when molded into a gripper shape they         easily accommodate any number of toothbrush designs.     -   b. These materials can have different degrees of tackiness and         viscosity, allowing the device to easily slide over the existing         permanently installed toothbrush holder while maintaining a snug         fit.     -   c. As the materials are durable they can be cleaned and         disinfected without significant decay, resulting in improved         hygiene.     -   d. They can be molded to accommodate any variety of ornamental         designs.         Other embodiments though may utilize other materials as well         that may not be suitable for injection molding or thermoforming.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A toothbrush holder comprising: A top member having a substantially horizontal orientation; At least one gripping member; A bottom member having a substantially horizontal orientation; Two side walls that extend from the front to rear of the top and bottom platforms that are affixed to the underside of the said top platform and the top of the said bottom platform, each one placed in a lateral position to said gripping member, so that said gripping member extends beyond the side wall.
 2. A method of retrofitting a wall mounted toothbrush holder by means of a toothbrush holder according to claim
 1. 3. The toothbrush holder according to claim 1 wherein said toothbrush holder being made by injection molding.
 4. The toothbrush holder according to claim 1 wherein said toothbrush holder being made by thermoforming. 